Sarcophaga (Robackina) Lopes

Giroux, Marjolaine & Wheeler, Terry A., 2010, Systematics of Bulbostyla, a new subgenus of Sarcophaga Meigen, and change of status for Robackina Lopes (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), Zootaxa 2553, pp. 35-59 : 52-53

Sarcophaga (Robackina) Lopes , stat. nov.

Robackina Lopes, 1975: 159 (type species: Sarcophaga triplasia Wulp, 1895 , by original designation). Sarcophaga (Neobellieria) in part: Pape (1996: 366).

Diagnosis: Robackina may be distinguished from other subgenera of Sarcophaga by male genitalic characters. The juxta is sclerotized, as long as wide in posterior view and distinct from the phallic tube. The lateral styli are very large. The phallic vesica is sclerotized and bilobed.

Description: Male: body length 7.5–16.0 mm.

Head: background color black or brown usually with bronze, silvery or yellowish pruinosity. Postocellar setae medium to long, proclinate, hair-like, extending to or beyond level of paravertical setae. Inner vertical seta reclinate. Outer vertical seta as long as or slightly longer than upper postocular. Proclinate orbital setae absent; upper orbital setae reclinate. Number of medioclinate frontal setae variable, row distinctly curving outwards at lunule. Frontal vitta pale brown, dark brown or black. Fronto-orbital plate with scattered black setulae, often forming a single row close to eye. Parafacial bronze, brownish or yellowish pruinose, with scattered black setulae. Occipital setae white except 1–2 rows of black setae below postocular setae. Antenna dark to light brown. Palpus pale to dark brown.

Thorax: background color black or brown, bronze, grey or silvery pruinose. Presutural acrostichal setae absent; 1 pair prescutellar acrostichal setae; 4–5 presutural dorsocentrals, slightly stronger than adjacent clothing setae; 4–5 postsutural dorsocentral setae, posterior two stronger than anterior 2–3; 1 + 2 intra-alar setae, posterior one stronger; 1–2 + 3–4 supra-alar setae; anterior postpronotal seta present; 2 basal postpronotal setae, inner one sometimes reduced; proanepisternum bare; 2 postalar setae; intrapostalar setae reduced or absent. Postalar wall setose. Usually 5–8 strong anepisternal setae, upper two shorter and declinate; dorsal and anterodorsal parts of anepisternum and dorsal part of katepisternum with moderately long to long wavy hairs. Infrasquamal setulae present. Posterior spiracle subtriangular with anterior finshaped fringe usually dark brown and posterior fringe usually paler.

Wing: membrane hyaline. Veins dark brown, pale-brown or yellowish. Tegula dark, brown pruinose, setose on about half of its surface, with a short black bristle on outer margin and 2 long black bristles on inner margin. Basicosta pale, golden-beige pruinose. C extending to M, base strongly bristled with 2–3 stout bristles close to costagial break, usually with ventral row of equidistant tiny setae extending to or just beyond R1. Weak costagial, humeral and subcostal breaks. Costal spine absent or vestigial. Subcostal sclerite and stemvein golden-brown pruinose. Base of stem-vein with cluster of golden-brown hairs dorsally. Axillary sclerites golden-beige pruinose. R4+5 setulose at base dorsally and ventrally, ventral row often extending to proximal half. Bend of M acute, sometimes right-angled, bent part concave relative to cell r4+5, extension at bend usually present as short fold darkened by dense microtrichia. CuA1 ending at wing margin as small fold with dense microtrichia. A1+CuA2 not reaching wing margin. A2 distinct as a fold darkened by dense microtrichia. Calypters creamy white; upper calypter rounded; lower calypter broadly expanded and angular, posterior margin straight.

Legs: background color yellow to black, grey-white pruinose. Fore and mid coxae covered with long hairs and strong setae. Hind coxa with 2–3 strong setae laterally and ventrally covered with moderately long to long hairs. Trochanters usually shining brown. Fore femur with complete row of strong dorsal setae (longer in middle), with complete row of shorter posterodorsal setae and sometimes with 6–8 weak posteroventral setae apically. Fore tibia usually with 3–4 strong anterodorsal setae proximally, 1 posterior seta on distal third, 1 dorsal, 1 posterodorsal, 1 posterior and 1 posteroventral setae apically. Tarsomere length: 1>2>3>4<5, first fore tarsomere and first and second hind tarsomeres with pad of fine bronze posteroventral and posterior setae. Mid femur with row of short posteroventral setae on apical half or third (sometimes slightly stronger than adjacent clothing setae), with almost complete row of moderately long anteroventral setae, 3–5 strong mid anterior setae and 2–3 strong posterodorsal setae apically. Mid tibia with 2–4 short posterior setae on proximal half or third, with 1–3 short to moderately long mid anterodorsal setae, usually with 1 moderately long posterior, 1 posterodorsal setae on apical third (sometimes a ventral seta also present), and setae of various length around apex. Hind trochanter covered with moderately long hairs. Hind femur and tibia straight to slightly curved ventrally. Hind femur with 1 strong anteroventral seta apically, 1 complete row of anterodorsal setae, with second anterior row restricted to proximal half or third and with posterodorsal row of 4–5 setae, the distalmost being almost posterior relative to the others. Hind tibia with 2–5 posterodorsal setae on proximal half and with 1 dorsal, 1 anterodorsal, 1 anterior, 1 anteroventral setae apically.

Abdomen elongate, slightly conical posteriorly. Background color black or brown with grey, bronze or silvery pruinosity. Tergites covered with small black setae dorsally and relatively longer hairs ventrally. Number of lateral marginal setae variable between tergites and between specimens.

Terminalia: background color yellowish-orange, black setulose. Sternite 5 with V-shaped emargination posteriorly and with short base anteriorly, cleft of posterior margin with dense patch of moderately long to long black bristles, window present. Tergite 6 vestigial or absent. Syntergosternite 7+8 with anterodorsal emargination and with spiracle 7 dorsolateral. Epandrium shining and globose, square in lateral view but with posteroventral extension partly covering cerci in dorsal view. Surstylus triangular, proximal surface bare. Cercal base clothed with long black hairs, cercal prong tapering and strongly curving anteriorly. Bacilliform sclerites reduced. Hypandrial arms not fused in posterior view. Postgonal apodeme reduced to a more or less oval dorsal sclerite. Pregonite with tiny setulae along anterior surface. Postgonite with a short subapical bristle. Vesica sclerotized and forming a bilobed structure. Harpes reduced. Lateral stylus coiled at base and with longitudinal cleft opened all along internal side. Median stylus bifurcate and without opening. Juxta sclerotized and fused to median stylus.

Female: body length 8.0–12.0 mm. Differs from male as follows:

Head: outer vertical seta present, strong. Proclinate orbital setae present.

Thorax: hairs on dorsal and anterodorsal parts of anepisternum and dorsal part of katepisternum shorter and less dense.

Legs: no wavy hairs on femora and tibiae. Mid femoral organ present. Mid femur with 1 row of moderately strong posteroventral setae in proximal half or third. Mid tibia with moderately long ventral seta on apical third always present. Hind femur and tibia always straight. Hind femur with a more or less regular row of anteroventral setae along its length, with 3–4 ventral setae.

Abdomen rounded and slighty conical posteriorly. Tergites covered with small black setae dorsally and ventrally, with longer hairs restricted to sternites and ventral margin of tergites.

Terminalia: tergite 6 narrowly membranous mid-dorsally, sometimes with a secondarily sclerotized membrane. Spiracles 6 and 7 distinct on each plate of tergite 6. Sternites 6–8 not fused. Cerci distinct.

Remarks: Lopes’ (1975) description of Robackina was brief and based on the type and only included species Sarcophaga triplasia . Morphologically, S. triplasia is a distinctive species with a very complex distiphallus. The senior author examined the type species of half the subgenera within Sarcophaga and no others corresponded to Lopes’ definition of Robackina, nor had the few character states that we suspect to be unique for this subgenus.